Putin’s popularity in large cities tumbled by 12 points in February

Putin’s popularity rating fell from 69.7% in January to 57.1% in February in Russia’s “millionki,” the 11 cities in the country with more than 1 million residents. State-owned pollster Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VTsIOM) reported the 12 point drop in Putin’s popularity rating on Wednesday, 10 days before the upcoming presidential election. A bne IntelliNews article notes the 11 cities where Putin suffered the double-digit drop were the exact locations targeted last summer by opposition leader Aleksei Navalny for a wave of protest rallies.